Spennymoor Town Council offers grants to support local charities, voluntary organisations and community-led groups that positively contribute to life within our parish. Our aim is to help groups continue delivering valuable services, strengthen their impact, and develop projects that benefit residents.
Eligible Areas
Applications are welcome for projects taking place within any of the following areas covered by Spennymoor Town Council:
- Spennymoor
- Tudhoe
- Byers Green
- Kirk Merrington
- Middlestone Moor
Available Grant Amount
Applicants can request funding up to £5,000.
What We Fund
Our Grants Scheme is designed to support a wide range of local initiatives. Projects should align with at least one of the priorities below:
1. Opportunities for Children, Young People & Families
Programmes that encourage personal development, improve health and wellbeing, raise aspirations, or provide meaningful social action opportunities for families and young people.
2. Community and Social Development
Activities that strengthen local skills, promote wellbeing, improve access to employment, or support community-led initiatives that enhance life for residents.
3. Environmental and Outdoor Improvements
Projects that encourage environmental care, increase biodiversity, enhance shared spaces, or repurpose unused areas for community benefit (subject to required permissions already being in place).
4. Community Facilities and Infrastructure
Capital improvements to community buildings, sports facilities, play areas (including MUGAs), and other accessible shared spaces. All capital projects must be sustainable, legally deliverable, and supported by the community. Applicants should demonstrate that responsibilities such as maintenance, insurance and inspections are accounted for, for at least three years after completion.
Types of Expenses You Can Apply For
The scheme can support:
- Capital items and equipment (except vehicles)
- Training, coaching, and capacity building activities
- Project delivery costs
- Sessional staffing or contributions to salaries
- A contribution to core running costs for organisations with an annual expenditure under £500,000
- Transport and travel costs
- Repairs to equipment or facilities
Quotes required:
If the funding you are applying to us for is to purchase / match fund capital items and equipment you must supply the following:
- £250–£1,000: one quote or cost estimate
- £1,001–£50,000: three comparable quotes
If you are unsure whether your idea or purchase is eligible, we encourage you to contact us before applying.
Required Supporting Documents
Applications are only considered complete once the following have been provided:
- A constitution or governing document
- Recent financial accounts or balance sheet
- A recent bank statement showing the group’s name, sort code and account number
- Safeguarding policies for children and vulnerable adults for appropriate organisations
Who Can Apply
Your group does not need to be a registered charity, but it must operate with clear charitable aims. Eligible applicants include:
- Registered charities and CIOs
- Community and voluntary groups with a constitution
- Social enterprises (including CICs or companies limited by guarantee) registered with the appropriate regulatory body
- Schools – for activities outside of the standard curriculum
Requirements for Volunteer-led Organisations, Charities and CIOs
- A management committee of at least four unrelated members
- A bank account in the organisation’s name with a minimum of two unrelated signatories
- Charitable aims and evidence of sound governance
- Registration with the Charity Commission if required (i.e., income over £5,000 per year)
Requirements for Social Enterprises, CICs, and Companies
- A minimum of three directors, or four where two are related
- A bank account in the company’s name with two unrelated signatories
- A recognised legal status (e.g., company limited by guarantee)
- An asset lock (for CICs and similar)
- Evidence that at least 50% of income comes from trading
- A clear demonstration that the activity requiring funding is non-trading and delivers a community or charitable benefit
- The company must have been registered for at least 12 months
Sessional staffing costs must reflect reasonable and appropriate pay structures.
Project Timelines
To ensure that funding is used effectively and in line with the Council’s priorities, all applicants should carefully consider the timing of their proposed project.
- Projects must begin within 12 months of receiving a grant award.
Funding may be withdrawn if the project does not commence within this timeframe. - Grants cannot be awarded retrospectively.
We are unable to fund any activity that has already started or any costs already incurred. - Please allow a minimum of four weeks between the application deadline and your intended project start date.
This ensures there is sufficient time for assessment, decision-making and notification of outcomes.
Applicants are encouraged to build these timescales into their planning before submitting an application.
Acknowledging Spennymoor Town Council
All organisations receiving funding through this scheme are required to acknowledge Spennymoor Town Council in any publicity, promotional material, press releases, social media posts, or public events relating to the funded project.
This helps demonstrate how the Council supports local communities and ensures transparency about the use of public funds.
Grant recipients must present the outcomes of their project at the Annual Meeting of Electors in the budget year following the award of the grant.
Where appropriate, we may provide logos or wording to use in your communications.
Policies and Compliance
Depending on the nature of activities, organisations may be expected to have:
- Safeguarding policies for children and vulnerable adults
- Public liability and (where applicable) employer’s liability insurance
- Equality and diversity policies
- DBS checks for staff and volunteers working with vulnerable groups
Any necessary planning permissions or regulatory approvals
We Cannot Fund
The scheme will not consider applications for:
- Activities primarily promoting religious worship (though community-focused projects run by faith groups may be eligible)
- The purchase or construction of buildings or land
- Start-up costs for CICs
- Contingency or retrospective funding
- Projects replacing statutory/public services
- Initial feasibility studies or consultations
- Business or profit-making ventures
- Statutory Curriculum based activities in schools
- General fundraising or sponsored events
- Purchase of vehicles (running costs may be considered)
- Political activity or campaigning
- Organisations with unresolved governance, compliance, or due-diligence issues
- Refreshments and food at events
In most cases, we are unable to support:
- National or regional charities unless they operate independently at a local level
- Organisations with more than 12 months of free reserves
- Medical research or equipment
- Organisations without their own bank account (unless exceptional circumstances have been agreed in advance)
Please note: Each grant programme run by the Council may have additional or differing criteria.
Can You Apply Elsewhere?
Applying to this scheme does not prevent your organisation from applying for other Council or partner funding programmes — however, you cannot receive funding from multiple sources for the same project. We do encourage applicants to seek match funding, and this grant can be used toward match funding for larger projects.
Successful Applicants
Successful applicants will be informed as soon as possible following the Council’s decision. A formal Grant Award Letter will be issued, setting out the full terms and conditions of the Grant. These will include, but are not limited to:
- Publicity and Acknowledgement Requirements:
Grant recipients must acknowledge Spennymoor Town Council in all publicity relating to the funded project, including press releases, promotional materials, social media posts, and public events. The Council may provide approved wording or logos for use in communications. - Grant Monitoring and Reporting:
Successful applicants will be required to participate in monitoring processes to demonstrate how funding has been used and to evidence the project’s outcomes. This may include progress updates, financial reporting, and a final evaluation. Recipients are also expected to present the outcomes of their project at the Annual Meeting of Electors in the budget year following the award. - Use of Funds:
The Grant Award Letter will outline approved expenditure and any restrictions on the use of funds, including expectations around procurement (e.g., required quotes for capital purchases). - Compliance Requirements:
Organisations must maintain any required policies, insurance, safeguarding procedures, and regulatory permissions relevant to the funded activity. - Project Delivery Expectations:
Projects must begin within 12 months of receiving the grant award and cannot be funded retrospectively. Timelines must align with the Council’s requirements.
When to Apply
Main Grant Applications are invited for the following deadlines only:
- 1st June
- 1st September
- 1st December
Dependant on available funding a final round may be added with a 1st March deadline.
Applications will be reviewed by the Council following the completion of due diligence checks.
Please do not start your project until funding is granted as we cannot fund retrospectively.
